Both have merits. I like a park with several 10 to 15 min attractions several different themes that are well explored. One large attraction does well also but the pacing must be closely monitored to keep the energy up.
Allen H

Its best in my opinion to have multiple haunts. WHY, its the only way you can get alot of patrons through. If you have one house, the lines of people go on forever and some might wait an hour or two but other people will just leave. If your looking to get the most numbers possible through your attraction. It a must to go multiple...

How do you claim having multiple haunts if their all stacked back to back to back? Largest haunt in my area claims 4 haunted houses and 2 wooded trails. One trail is a path with not much on it and I dunno where the other one is???

We have a haunted train ride and I am looking for other things. Does anybody think something like a paintgun shooting gallery( shooting at Zombie picture targets) would go over ? Also, what is included in a pitch black haunt, are they any good. Thanks for the help.

I prefer the large scale haunted house with multiple themes within; it's like 5 smaller haunted houses but the [mood] doesn't get broke. Going in and out of multiple attractions seems to diminish the overall anticipation by being able to catch your breath. There's nothing like that 'initial' adrenaline of waiting to enter the attraction for the first time. I don't think you really ever get that 'initial' feeling back again to the same level having to jump back in line 3-5 times. My customers enjoy a full 23-26 minute uninterrupted experience; never really getting the chance to re-group themselves and gain an awareness of reality. However, well-trained actors and casting directors are vital for good patron flow.

We have a haunted train ride and I am looking for other things. Does anybody think something like a paintgun shooting gallery( shooting at Zombie picture targets) would go over ? Also, what is included in a pitch black haunt, are they any good. Thanks for the help.

There is a trick to the paintball game, where the people shoot from needs to be booths, the whole front of a room or stalls like a regular shooting range with carpet and sound deadening materials, other wise neighbors might not like the sound of war. I have seen pnuematic zombies and light effects, things that jiggle and move to shoot at that seemed to garner quite the attention of passers by. It becomes an opportunity to check out how paint ball guns work for those that don't have them or are curious and so it does sell well. The guns and C02 recharging station get a little pricy and you can easily get $2500 wrapped up in outfitting such a thing and up. They usually charge as much as $5 for a load of how ever many balls fit in the little hopper. So you are talking 500 shooters to break even. This might be only 10% to 15% of the actual event willing to spend a little more. Or it has to do with the type of customers, usually older teenagers that can then scratch shooting paint balls off of thier bucket list.

Pitch black haunts or mazes tend to be maybe 20 by 30 open rooms with actor employing night vision goggles. There might be furry textures on the wall, people in black half standing in the way and moving to do it again. Or it might be a walled maze that one has to feel their way through. Ususally it doesn't require adding yucky stuff to the walls as the patrons provide all of that. It is usually a $3 seperate attraction and can be a pole barn covered in tar paper to keep out the light from all the other attractions or more elaborate than that. Too big and it is frustration. Some patrons just get in the middle and scream for no reason for long periods of time calling for help. They lock up unwilling to move unlss assisted. I have had as much as maybe 20 linear feet inside a haunt intended to be dark and come to find someone put lights in there because people couldn't see where they were going. Duh. What ever.

Last edited by Greg Chrise; 05-11-2011 at 10:07 PM.
Reason: dangling participles hanging to the left

Another fabulous post from the U.S.Department of Wild Imaginings, now in spectaclar stereo, sponsored by the Adhesives and Sealants Council, suggesting ways to stick things together since the 1800s. Not fabulous in a gay way. Your results may vary. Illinois residents add 8% sales tax. These posts have been made by professional post makers, do not try this type of posting on your own without extensive training, lovely assistants and a trusty clown horn.

My personal preference is multiple, smaller haunts. This provides more variety and perceived value in my opinion. It also gets you out of a haunt that just doesn't cut it for you a little sooner and into another haunt theme that is more satisfying depending on individual tastes. When checking haunts for sale, one thing stood out with haunts redesigned by folks like Leonard Pickel. A 10,000 sq. ft. haunt might be broken down into two 5,000 sq. ft. haunts. This allows the haunter to change out the theme or reconfigure the smaller haunt with less drama than trying to overhaul a huge haunt. Don't get me wrong, huge haunts in the 20,000 or 50,000 sq. ft. range are great but theme changes take mega amounts of time and money if doing the whole place one season after another. The perceived value of multiple attractions comes off a little better in the minds of your customers. They feel that they're getting a better deal. Ultimately, the thing that makes your haunt truly stand out, regardless of size, is detail, your actors along with many other factors. It's really up to you and what works best in your demographic. My advice is to do multiple, smaller haunts and keep tabs on the reactions to each. This will help you plan future haunts that will best serve your customer base. But that's just my humble opinion....